


A Study in Thread

by dioscureantwins



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, Gen, Greg is a damn fine crocheter, Mycroft loves embroidery, Sherlock knits all the time, cosy Friday nights at 221B, knit!lock, lots of fluff as well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-09
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-28 18:53:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2743421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dioscureantwins/pseuds/dioscureantwins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I <i>can</i> crochet,” Sherlock bristles, looking as if he’d like to spear Mycroft on one of his needles.</p><p>Mycroft raises one eloquent eyebrow and ventures a glance at the tea cosy. “Can you?” he murmurs and resumes his stitching.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Study in Thread

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve just discovered [barachiki’s Tumblr](http://barachiki.tumblr.com/tagged/knitting) and it’s one of the best things in the Sherlock fandom. Ever. And not just because I’ve myself knitted some truly horrible sweaters in the past.
> 
> Betaed by the wonderful frozen_delight. She takes all my whimsies very seriously indeed.  
> Bless her!

“No, no, no.” Sherlock’s shout of outrage rings through the room, tearing the comfy atmosphere to shreds. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Lestrade? You don’t hold your needles like that!”

Maddeningly, the supercilious git’s fingers keep working deftly at the intricate cable pattern, even as he looms infuriatingly close over Greg to peer at his far clumsier hands. Determined not to appear intimidated Greg finishes another row. He’s not too much into knitting, as Sherlock knows full well. Besides, Greg may have punched above his weight when he decided upon this particular pattern of umbrellas for the sweater vest – and that was even before he opted for different colours for the open and closed ones, not to mention the handles – but he hasn’t dropped a stitch all evening and that should count for something.

On the other side of the room, where he’s snugly ensconced in John’s chair, Mycroft lifts his head and his eyes away from his embroidery frame and smiles at him. When Greg first met the elder Holmes brother the expression had him terrified. Now he thinks different. But then, the shade of the tie he crocheted for his lover adds a little warmth to Mycroft’s eyes. 

“Don’t pay attention to my little brother’s barbs, Gregory. He’s just jealous, you know. He couldn’t crochet if his life depended upon it.” 

“I _can_ crochet,” Sherlock bristles, looking as if he’d like to spear Mycroft on one of his needles.

Mycroft raises one eloquent eyebrow and ventures a glance at the tea cosy. “Can you?” he murmurs and resumes his stitching. It’s another handkerchief for Greg, this one with an elaborate border of little kittens frolicking amidst daisies, which they’ve all been admiring half an hour ago during their first break for tea.

A snigger erupts from beside said cosy, which is in fact an affront to anyone who takes crocheting seriously and not just as a pastime for amateurs , though Greg didn’t have the heart to say so when he entered and saw it squatting on the desk. Good God, but the thing is ugly, a knotted mess that’s got disaster written all over it. Or, more to the point, crocheted. Sherlock may be the only knitting detective in the world but the fine art of crocheting will forever elude him. 

Now John looks up from the desk to cast Sherlock an affectionate glance. “Cheer up, love,” he says. “This one is already much better than the last one. You actually thought to make a hole for the spout.”

“Yeah,” Greg chimes in to help relieve the chill that has descended upon their _cosy_ little party. “I think it shows remarkable improvement, Sherlock.”

“Really?” Sherlock perks up considerably at these words and Greg heaves a quiet sigh of relief. He’s become firmly attached to these Friday evenings of needlework at 221B, but he could do without the occasional outbreak of warfare between the Holmes brothers.

Reassured he’s managed to smooth over the hostilities John turns to reapply himself to the design of the blood splatter pattern he’s currently working on. 

When Greg first laid eyes upon the unassuming army doctor he couldn’t for the life of him have imagined he was looking down upon one of the most inventive designers of needlepoint cushion patterns that ever lived. One need just cast one look at 221B’s sofa to find the evidence on prominent display. Greg still doesn’t know which one he likes best: the one with the crutch and riding crop deftly worked into arrows piercing a big pink heart, the one with the skull, or the periodic table one. Though the way this blood splatter pattern is shaping up it looks like that might actually end up as Sherlock’s favourite.

Mollified, Sherlock returns to his chair. The moment he’s seated himself the pace of his hands increases twofold. After Greg has finished another row he lets his fingers rest a bit to stare at the knitting detective’s hands and the astonishing pace at which the jumper, in the exact same hue of deep-purple as Sherlock’s shirt, Greg notices – is descending from the needles. 

Jesus, he’s a damn’ fine crocheter – he won New Scotland Yard’s Annual Needlework Contest three years in a row after all – but he supposes he ought to be grateful to Anderson and Donovan that they insisted only actual personnel is allowed to enter the competition. Greg truly doesn’t know whether the cupcake hat and shawl he made Mycroft and intends to submit this year would stand a chance otherwise.

He ought to feel chagrined, perhaps, but he can never be angry at Sherlock. Not after Sherlock knitted him that goldfish hat and insisted he wear it when first meeting Mycroft. The man may be an arrogant cad who’s far too proud of his own accomplishments when it comes to needlework and too dismissive of others’, but if it weren’t for him Greg would never have met the man who truly knows to appreciate all the effort and love that goes into producing an umbrella protection cover with a size fourteen crochet hook.

**Author's Note:**

> Look what barachiki made for me!
> 
> [Mycroft engaging in some embroidery](http://barachiki.tumblr.com/tagged/knitting)
> 
> I absolutely love this. Thank you, barachiki!


End file.
